Looking for a quick buck? Starting next month, you could do worse then surfing to WhoCanISue.
You too can get rich playing the "lawsuit lottery," Just go down the list of everyone you don't like, along with everyone you think has wronged you, to see if you have a case.
It couldn't be easier. On WhoCanISue, you first sign up and then answer a series of general questions about your specific grievance. Based on your answers, you'll receive guidance on whether your target is "worth suing." If the answer is yes, WhoCanISue will then put you in touch with an interested attorney. If no, simply go to the next grievance!
WhoCanISue now joins the ranks of Web sites like SueEasy and LegalMatch. And, while you're case is pending, you can get an advance on your settlement from Lawsuit Funding.
However, I suspect that most readers of this blog aren't in the market to sue anyone. More likely, you're someone at risk for being sued. What can you do to reduce your risk of being sued? Here are a few suggestions:
Keep a low profile. People who openly display their wealth get sued much more often than those that don't. So, to avoid lawsuits, don't make extravagant displays of your wealth. For instance, instead of buying a mansion, rent a smaller home that is modest on the outside, but impecca¬bly furnished within. Send your children to a local private school, rather than a nationally recognized academy. Instead of buying a Ferrari, lease a mid priced automobile, and have it customized to your taste. All these steps lower your profile to potential litigants, and lessen the probabilty you will be investigated or sued.
- Keep your mouth shut. Not disclosing personal information is the first line of defense and an essential element of the lifeboat strategy. You have no way of knowing what a friend, lover, a casual acquaintance, or someone on the street who offers you a small reward will do with the information you disclose.
- Deal with petty grievances from neighbors, friends, co-workers, etc. If your neighbor asks you more than once to quiet your barking dog, take the complaint seriously. If you don't, one day you just might find a process server at your door giving you notice of a lawsuit filed against you by your neighbor.
- Don't make promises you can't keep. And keep the promises you make. These rules are easy to repeat, but difficult to apply in real life. A practical example is when a friend or family member asks you to co-sign for a loan. The question you need to ask isn't, "Can I trust this person?" but, "Do I have the financial means to make good on this obligation?" It's unlikely you can force your friend or family member to pay off the loan, at least not without losing the friendship or straining family ties. You also have little or no control over what extraneous events might occur that would prevent the loan recipient from paying off the obligation.
- Secure your wealth from lawsuits. The most important precaution is to purchase liability insurance for your home, your business, and your vehicles. Don't stop at the minimum limits, either. If you can purchase an "umbrella" policy with limits of US$1 million or more, do so.
Even with these precautions, Web sites like WhoCanISue and SueEasy virtually guarantee an explosion in frivolous lawsuits. No one is immune from attacks by American trial lawyers. But by taking these precautions, you will have come a long way in the right direction!
Copyright © 2008 by Mark Nestmann
(An earlier version of this post was published by The Sovereign Society.)
